Corset-clasp



(No Model.)

W. W. LASKER.

CORSET CLASP.

No. 597,584 Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

WITNESSES A I /N VE N TOR 95 WM ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

\VILLIAM W. LASKER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CORSET-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,584, dated January18, 1898. Application filed April 22, 1897. Serial No. 633,338 (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. LASKER, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Corset-Clasps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to clasps or fastening devices for the frontmeeting edges of corsets; and the object is to provide a simple clasp orfastening that may be easily and quickly fastened and unfastened and,further, to so construct the clasp that the parts cannot he accidentallyreleased.

I will describe a clasp or fastener-embodyin g niyinvention, and thenpoint out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front View of corset-stays, showing clasps embodying myinvention and in a closed posit-ion. Fig. 2 is a similar View butshowing the parts in an open position, and Fig. 3 is a section on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate corset-stays of the usualmaterial. One of the stays is provided with headed lugs 3 and the otheris provided with clasp-sections comprising pairs of guide-plates 4: 4and 5 5. Each plate is folded upon itself and is provided with anoutwardly-opening slot 6, the opposite walls of which are shown asdiverging, so as to be easily guided along the shank. portion of its lug3. The head of the lug will be somewhat larger in diameter than thewidth of the slot.

Movable through the plates 4: is a clasp-bar 7, and movable through theplates 5 is a similarclasp-bar 8. Each clasp-bar at its end portions,directly engaging in the guide-plates, has outwardly-opening slots 9, atthe inner ends of which are notches 10 of a width substantially equal tothat of the lug-shanks. The walls of the slots 9, extending from thenotched side, are inclined outward, as at 11, so that the latch-bars maybe moved automatically in a longitudinal direction when the stays areforced together with the lugs in the slots.

It will be noted that the notches 10 of one clasp-bar extend in anopposite direction to the notches in the other clasp-bar, and this isnecessary, because in clasping and releasing the bars more in directionsopposite to each other.

The adjacent inner ends of the bars 7 and 8 are connected together bymeans of aspringwire 12, which operates in spreading to free the barsaway from each other, and at the in ner sides of the said inner ends ofthe bars finger-pieces 13 are provided.

In operation to clasp the two stays together it is only necessary toforce the lugs into the slots 6, which, engaging with the inclined walls11, will move the clasp-bars until the lugs reach the notches 10, whenthe bars will be forced outward by the spring 12 to engage the lugs inthe notches. To release the latchbars, they are to be drawn toward eachother by drawing inward on the finger-pieces 13, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination with stays, of lugs on one of thestays, guide-plates on the other stay and having outwardly-openingslots, at clasp-bar movable longitudinallyin each pair of guide-plates,the portions of the bars within the plates being provided withoutwardlyopening slots and notches at the inner ends of said slots, thewall of the slot at the notch side being inclined outward and means forholding the bars yieldingly in their locking position, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination with stays, of headed lugs on one of the stays,guide-plates on the other stay and having outwardly opening slots withdiverging opposite walls, a claspbar movable in each pair ofguide-plates, the' portions of the bars within the plates being providedwith outwardly-opening slots and notches at the inner ends of the slots,the wall of the slot at the notch side being inclined outward, a springconnecting adjacent ends of the bars, and finger-pieces on said innerends, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM W. LASKER.

Witnesses:

J NO. M. Rrrrnn, WILLIAM E. EOKER.

